Governor Janet Mills on Friday announced that all Mainers 60 years and older will be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine starting next Wednesday.
The new plan provides a long-term, age-based breakdown of when the vaccine will be available to age groups down to Mainers in their 20s:
- March 3: Eligibility expands to residents age 60 and older
- April: Eligibility expands to age 50 and older
- May: Eligibility expands to age 40 and older
- June: Eligibility expands to age 30 and older
- July and beyond: Ages 29 and under, including children pending authorization of a vaccine for them
It comes as state public health officials say the weekly allotments of vaccine have increased in size, and the federal government has been able to provide a better forecast of how much the state will be receiving a few weeks out.
It also comes with possible Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. FDA of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which could be arriving in Maine starting next week if it’s approved.
Previously, Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah and DHHS Commissioner
Jeanne Lambrew publicly floated the possibility of Mainers between 65 and 69 becoming the next eligible group soon, so Friday’s announcement represents an even larger expansion of access.
“Throughout the pandemic, my fundamental goal has been to save lives and protect our most vulnerable people. A review of recent data by the Maine CDC indicates that age is a significant predictor of whether someone will become seriously sick or is more likely to die if they contract COVID-19,” said Governor Janet Mills. “Taking that into consideration, along with the clarity, predictability, and relative ease of implementation, I believe this approach is the best option to save lives and ensure the vaccine can be administered to as many people as quickly and as efficiently as possible.
